THE FOUNDATION FIGHTING BLINDNESS INC

RESEARCH: THE FOUNDATION FIGHTING BLINDNESS, INC. (THE FOUNDATION) FUNDED RESEARCHERS ARE ACHIEVING REMARKABLE SUCCESS IN DISCOVERING, TESTING, AND DELIVERING TO PATIENTS A WIDE RANGE OF PROMISING THERAPIES TO PREVENT, STOP THE PROGRESSION OF, AND CURE BLINDING DISEASES DUE TO RETINAL DEGENERATIVE DISEASES. THE FOUNDATION HAS ENCUMBRANCES OF OVER $36 MILLION, NOT INCLUDED ON OUR JUNE 30 FINANCIAL REPORT, FOR ACTIVE RESEARCH PROJECTS THAT HAVE FUTURE RESEARCH MILESTONES. OUR SCIENCE COMMITTEE'S SPENDING PLAN INCLUDES SPENDING AT AN AVERAGE OF $28 MILLION ANNUALLY TO SUPPORT FUTURE RESEARCH. AS OF THE END OF OUR FISCAL YEAR 2025, THE FOUNDATION'S RESEARCH GRANTS PROGRAM IS FUNDING 104 GRANTS BEING CONDUCTED BY MORE THAN 133 INVESTIGATORS AT 92 INSTITUTIONS, EYE HOSPITALS, AND UNIVERSITIES IN THE U.S. AND AROUND THE WORLD. A SAMPLING OF THE RESEARCH PROJECTS FUNDED ARE LISTED BELOW: "DEFINING THE UNDERLYING CAUSES OF RETINAL DEGENERATION IN CRB1 DISEASE." JEREMY KAY, DUKE UNIVERSITY DR. KAY AND HIS TEAM HYPOTHESIZE THAT LOSS OF CELL-CELL CONNECTIONS IN THE OUTER RETINA UNDERLIES RP-LIKE ASPECTS OF CRB1-ASSOCIATED DISEASE, WHILE LOSS OF JUNCTIONS BETWEEN EMBRYONIC PROGENITORS UNDERLIES LCA-LIKE ASPECTS. DR. KAY'S TEAM WILL USE MULTIPLE MODELS TO IDENTIFY PRIMARY SITE(S) OF DAMAGE CAUSED BY CRB1 DYSFUNCTION, AND EXPLORE STRATEGIES TO FIX THE DAMAGE. THEY WILL ALSO WORK TO DETERMINE WHETHER THESE CELLULAR FEATURES CAN BE IMAGED IN ANIMALS AND IN PATIENTS AND BE USED AS AN ENDPOINT IN FUTURE CLINICAL TRIALS. "DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW GENE THERAPY FOR AUTOSOMAL DOMINANT RETINITIS PIGMENTOSA" DENISE MONTELL, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SANTA BARBARA DR. MONTELL IS PIONEERING A GENE THERAPY APPROACH TO COMBAT RETINITIS PIGMENTOSA (RP), SPECIFICALLY THE AUTOSOMAL DOMINANT FORM CAUSED BY MISFOLDED RHODOPSIN PROTEIN. BY PROMOTING THE DEGRADATION OF MISFOLDED RHODOPSIN, THROUGH OVEREXPRESSION OF THE ZIP7 GENE, DR. MONTELL AIMS TO SLOW RETINAL DEGENERATION. ADDITIONALLY, OVEREXPRESSING THE ZIP7 GENEA ZINC TRANSPORTER PROTEINMAY RELIEVE CELLULAR STRESS AND PREVENT PHOTORECEPTOR CELL DEATH IN VARIOUS MODELS OF AUTOSOMAL DOMINANT RP. "CHARACTERIZATION AND MITIGATION OF AAV-INDUCED OCULAR INFLAMMATION" WILLIAM BELTRAN, UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA DR. BELTRAN AND HIS TEAM ARE WORKING TO IMPROVE THE SAFETY OF GENE THERAPIES THAT USE VIRAL VECTORS TO DELIVER THE THERAPEUTIC GENE TO RETINAL CELLS. AS MORE IRD GENE THERAPIES MOVE FROM THE PRECLINICAL STAGE IN ANIMAL MODELS TO CLINICAL TRIALS, THERE IS AN INCREASING RECOGNITION OF THE NEED TO BETTER UNDERSTAND GENE THERAPY-ASSOCIATED UVEITIS (INFLAMMATION). THIS INFLAMMATORY RESPONSE CAN IMPEDE THE THERAPY'S PERFORMANCE AND CAN CAUSE RETINAL DAMAGE.

PUBLIC HEALTH EDUCATION: DURING FY25, THE FOUNDATION CONTINUED TO PROVIDE EDUCATION AND SUPPORT TO PEOPLE AFFECTED BY RETINAL DEGENERATIVE DISEASES. THE FOUNDATION ALSO FIELDS A TEAM OF PROFESSIONALS FOCUSED ON EDUCATING OPHTHALMOLOGISTS AND OPTOMETRISTS ON THE LATEST ADVANCEMENTS WITH THE FOUNDATION'S RESOURCES AND RESEARCH ON THE INHERITED RETINAL DISEASE SPACE. TO KEEP OUR CONSTITUENTS AND PROFESSIONALS INFORMED, THE FOUNDATION PUBLISHES EXTENSIVE CONTENT VIA THE WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA/EMAIL CHANNELS; DISTRIBUTES A NEWSLETTER ONLINE AND IN PRINT; PRODUCES AND SHARES EDUCATIONAL PODCASTS WITH LEADING EXPERTS IN THE SPACE; HOSTS VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON EDUCATIONAL AND NETWORKING SEMINARS; AND HOLDS QUARTERLY INSIGHTS FORUM CALLS TO INFORM THE COMMUNITY ABOUT SCIENTIFIC PROGRESS. THE CONTENT INCLUDES THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN RESEARCH AND CLINICAL TRIALS, AS WELL AS PERSONAL STORIES FROM MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY. ADDITIONALLY, THE FOUNDATION HOSTS REGIONAL FORUM PRESENTATIONS THAT PROVIDE TIMELY CONTENT TO EYE CARE PROFESSIONALS. CHAPTERS BRING THE FOUNDATION'S MESSAGE AND MISSION TO LIFE. IN FY25, THE FOUNDATION SUPPORTED OVER 47 VOLUNTEER-LED CHAPTERS IN 23 STATES IN THE US AND ONE CHAPTER IN LONDON, UK. OUR CHAPTERS HOST VISION CONNECTION, AN ENRICHING AND SUPPORTIVE GATHERING FOR THE BLIND AND LOW-VISION COMMUNITY. EACH SESSION COVERS EDUCATIONAL PRESENTATIONS, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, FUNDRAISING, AND INTERACTIVE Q&A SESSIONS.